Registration of devices in a digital rights management environment

• US 9,268,922 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2014
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Durbha, Seetharama Rao, Stevens, Clarke
• Primary Examiner(s): RAHIM, MONJUR
• Application Number:
  US14/270,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20150324554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1011 to devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

Methods and structure for Digital Rights Management (DRM) are provided. An exemplary system includes a Digital Rights Management (DRM) licensing server. The DRM licensing server is able to receive authentication information generated by a DRM module of a client device, and to receive a device identifier that uniquely distinguishes the client device from other client devices, wherein the device identifier has been generated by the DRM module. The DRM licensing server is further able to authenticate the DRM module based on the authentication information, to create a signed identifier based on the device identifier responsive to authenticating the DRM module, and to transmit the signed identifier to the client device. The system also includes an application server able to register the client device with an account at the application server, based on the signed identifier.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a Digital Rights Management (DRM) licensing server operable to receive authentication information generated by a DRM module of a client device, to receive a device identifier that uniquely distinguishes the client device from other client devices, wherein the device identifier has been generated by the DRM module, and to authenticate the DRM module based on the authentication information,

wherein the DRM licensing server is further operable to create a signed identifier based on the device identifier responsive to authenticating the DRM module, and to transmit the signed identifier to the client device; and

an application server operable to authenticate the client device by;

receiving the signed identifier from the client device, verifying that the signed identifier was generated by the DRM licensing server, identifying an account, and granting the client device access to the application server responsive to identifying the account,

the application server further operable to register the client device with the account at the application server, based on the signed identifier.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the DRM licensing server is further operable to create a signed identifier for the client device in response to the passage of a predetermined period of time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the application server is further operable to perform the steps of receiving, verifying, identifying, and granting each time the client device attempts to access the application server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the DRM licensing server is further operable to facilitate registration of multiple client devices with the account by authenticating DRM modules of the multiple client devices and creating signed identifiers for the multiple client devices, and

the application server is further operable to register the client devices with the account, based on the signed identifiers.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the DRM licensing server is further operable to create the signed identifier by appending a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) Web Token signature to the device identifier.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the DRM licensing server receives the authentication information and the device identifier via a proprietary DRM communication protocol.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the device identifier uniquely distinguishes the client device from all other client devices serviced by the application server.

8. A method comprising:

registering a client device with an application server by;

receiving, at a Digital Rights Management (DRM) licensing server, authentication information generated by a DRM module of the client device;

receiving, at the DRM licensing server, a device identifier that uniquely distinguishes the client device from other client devices, wherein the device identifier has been generated by the DRM module;

authenticating the DRM module at the DRM licensing server based on the authentication information;

creating a signed identifier at the DRM licensing server based on the device identifier, responsive to authenticating the DRM module;

transmitting the signed identifier to the client device;

authenticating the client device at the application server by;

receiving the signed identifier from the client device;

verifying that the signed identifier was generated by the DRM licensing server;

identifying an account; and

granting the client device access to the application server responsive to identifying the account; and

registering the client device with the account at the application server, based on the signed identifier.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

periodically re eating the method in response to the passage of a predetermined period of time.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

performing the steps of receiving, verifying, identifying, and granting each time the client device attempts to access the application server.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

authenticating DRM modules of multiple client devices;

creating signed identifiers for the multiple client devices, and

registering the multiple client devices with the account, based on the signed identifiers.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein:

creating the signed identifier comprises appending a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) Web Token signature to the device identifier.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein:

receiving the authentication information and receiving the device identifier is performed via a proprietary DRM communication protocol.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the device identifier uniquely distinguishes the client device from all other client devices serviced by the application server.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying programmed instructions which, when executed by a processor, are operable for performing a method comprising:

registering a client device with an application server by;

receiving, at a Digital Rights Management (DRM) licensing server, authentication information generated by a DRM module of the client device;

receiving, at the DRM licensing server, a device identifier that uniquely distinguishes the client device from other client devices, wherein the device identifier has been generated by the DRM module;

authenticating the DRM module at the DRM licensing server based on the authentication information;

creating a signed identifier at the DRM licensing server based on the device identifier, responsive to authenticating the DRM module;

transmitting the signed identifier to the client device;

authenticating the client device at the application server by;

receiving the signed identifier from the client device;

verifying that the signed identifier was generated by the DRM licensing server;

identifying an account; and

granting the client device access to the application server responsive to identifying the account; and

registering the client device with the account at the application server, based on the signed identifier.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

periodically repeating the method in response to the passage of a predetermined period of time.

17. The medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

performing the steps of receiving, verifying, identifying, and granting each time the client device attempts to access the application server.

18. The medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

authenticating DRM modules of multiple client devices;

creating signed identifiers for the multiple client devices, and

registering the multiple client devices with the account, based on the signed identifiers.

19. The medium of claim 15, wherein:

creating the signed identifier comprises appending a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) Web Token signature to the device identifier.

20. The medium of claim 15, wherein:

receiving the authentication information and receiving the device identifier is performed via a proprietary DRM communication protocol.